First week with Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 - consumer review

Consumer review of Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 - best smartphone I have used so far

I've been using my Samsung J7 2017 for a week and it's already left a good impressions. The first thing I liked about this phone is the sleek look and metal casing. The phone has an almost perfect form factor. It's on the bigger end - 5.5'-inch display.

With its 5,5-inch display this phone may be bigger for most users. However, I was specifically looking for a bigger phone as it's more convenient for image viewing. The Samsung J7 is perfect on this level. It fits well in my hand. The grab is stable even without the protective case I've put on it to avoid scratches.

Performance

One week of usage may not be enough to judge on the overall performance of the smartphone. So far I have not had any issues to complain about. The phone has worked smoothly, withoit any lagging. I use several apps at a time and still the Samsung J7 has behaved up to standards, as you would expect.

Hardware

The J7 (as well as the J5) come with fingerprint scanner for security. I was excited to use the feature and it most works well, however keep in mind that even a small amount of residue or moisture on your phone will render the fingerprint scanner useless. This annoys me now as I have to use my long password to unlock the phone when the fingerprint gives up.

Another pet peeve I have with the Galaxy J7 is that the headphone jack is on the bottom rather than at the top. This bugs me as not all headphones have long enough cable to comfortably fit at the bottom of the phone.

Battery life

Simiar to most smartphones nowadays, the battery life of the J7 hugely varies on the way you use the phone. I've noticed that under normal usage, the 3600 mAh battery can hold me 1 1/2 days. I have to recharge at the evening of the second day. Heavy Facebook / Messanger users will be able to go one whole day without recharging in my opinion.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy J7 comes with Android 7.0 Nougat, which, as all Android, is easy and intuitive to use. Maybe the one thing that used to bug me, until I found a solution, was the lack of an 'all apps' button on the homescreen.

A pretty nifty feature that I like about the J7 is the 'Always On' display. You can see the time and date, as well as your notifications on the screen while the phone is idle and the screen is locked. The brightness of Always On adjusts automatically so it doesn't bother you while you sleep. As for battery usage, I have not tested it yet with Always On disabled. I think there will be some battery improvement if I disable it.

Camera quality

I quite like the J7's two cameras. Both of them are 13 MP. The photo quality is clear and focused, the colours are very brisk. As long as you don't shake your hand too much, the photo quality is rather good. The only regret I have though is that the camera is still second to that of the Huawei Mate 10.

Display

The Samsung J7 features Super AMOLED 5.5-inch 1080x1920 display. Compared to other smartphones I've used, this is by far the best display for a smartphone. You won't believe the clarity and stark colours you get. Samsung have clearly done a great job even for a mid-range smartphone as the Galaxy J7. It's perfect for Instagram lovers (like me) or casual book readers (also like me).

Overall impressions

I absolutely love the Samsung Galaxy J7. If you're looking for a mid-range phone with great display, good camera and smooth performance, this is the one.